Parents ‘killed girl for shaming family’

Shafilea Ahmed, 17, was allegedly murdered by father Iftikhar and mother Farzana in 2003

Shafilea Ahmed, 17, was allegedly murdered by father Iftikhar and mother Farzana in 2003

Shafilea Ahmed, 17, was allegedly murdered by father Iftikhar and mother Farzana in 2003.

Her remains were found by a river five months after she vanished but the death remained a mystery for seven years – until sister Alesha told police she saw the parents carry out the murder.

Andrew Edis QC, prosecuting, said: “It is an extraordinary thing to say about your parents, if it is true – to say that you were there and watched them while they murdered your sister.”

Alesha, 23, told police she had seen her parents kill A-level pupil Shafilea during a row at home in Warrington, Cheshire.

Mr Edis said: “She was a thoroughly Westernised young British girl of Pakistani origin. Her parents had standards which she was reluctant to follow. In particular she wanted to have boyfriends, as most 16 and 17-year-old girls do.

"That caused intense friction, stress and anger. “Her parents began to seek to control her. They took her money and her mobile so that she did not have the freedom to move about as she would like.”

After Shafilea stayed with a man she was sent to Pakistan for an arranged marriage. The appalled girl swallowed bleach and was brought back to Britain.

Mr Edis told Chester Crown Court: “They despaired of her being the daughter of whom they could be proud. So she had to disappear.”

Alesha made her claim after being arrested for robbery at the family home, the jury heard. She is awaiting sentence. Iftikhar, 52, and Farzana, 49, deny murder.